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Chechen court bars poll candidate
The last serious rival to Russia's preferred candidate for Chechen president has been barred from standing in presidential elections. Businessman Malik Saidullayev said on Thursday the Chechen supreme court ruling was inspired by Kremlin officials who want to ensure victory for Akhmad Kadyrov. Saidullayev said: "We will appeal to the Russian Supreme Court in the next few days. We will get the explanation for the ruling tomorrow." The main opponent to Kadyrov, Saidullayev was the only serious alternative in the presidential race after the withdrawal of three other contenders. One of these, Aslanbek Aslakhanov, Chechnya's lone deputy in Russia's lower house of parliament, announced he was quitting the race only a few hours earlier. Kadyrov was also indirectly accused by Saidullayev of using murder and kidnapping to intimidate his supporters. The candidate's team said armed people with portraits of Kadyrov pinned to their breasts had shot dead on Tuesday the son of one of Saidullayev's main election campaigners.
Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-09-12 |
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| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=18601 |